Cable-securing device with ladder type strap

ABSTRACT

A cable-securing device having a locking head and a flexible strap extending therefrom in the form of a ladder having cross bars extending between parallel side members. The cross bars are larger than the separation of the side members so that they are bent as they lie in the plane of the side members. The device has a projecting locking peg which forms a cable-securing loop when a cross bar is engaged by the locking peg.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cable-securing device of the kindcomprising a locking head having a flexible strap extending therefromand with which in use cables and the like are secured in a loop formedby securing the free end of the strap in the locking head. The lockinghead is usually provided with mounting means, being for example adaptedto clip on to a mounting projection such as the head of a stud. Suchcable-securing devices are commonly made of a plastics material.

A variety of arrangements have been proposed and used to secure the freeend of the strap in the locking head. In some cases, transverse ridgesor grooves are formed in the strap so as to facilitate locking of thefree end of the strap in the locking head. U.S. Pat. No. 4,447,934discloses the use in a cable-securing device of ratchet flaps formed inthe flexible strap and adapted to engage with a ratchet lock in thelocking head.

German specification DE 34 47 693 discloses a cable-securing device inwhich the strap is formed with full-width teeth which similarly engage aratchet arrangement in the locking head.

European patent EP 0 125 158 discloses a cable-securing device having aplurality of transverse slots formed in the flexible strap which areadapted to engage a catch in the locking head.

Such slots may be enlarged and German gebrauchsmuster G 85 22 688discloses a strap fastener in which a series of holes in the strap areadapted to engage a peg in the locking head. A form of fastener has thusevolved having a strap with a ladder-like structure having holes definedby transverse `rungs` or cross-bars joining parallel side members atright angles. Such a strap fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.3,983,603.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, a cable securing device having alocking head and a flexible strap extending therefrom in the form of aladder is characterised in that the cross bars connecting the sidemembers of the ladder structure are longer than the separation of theside members so that they are best as they lie in the plane of the sidemembers.

The cross bars may be curved as in the arc of a circle or may be bent ina V-configuration. Preferably they are bent or curved towards the freeend of the strap.

Preferably the locking head is provided with a locking peg projectingfrom the locking head away from the strap, said peg including aresilient finger which projects from the peg to provide a locking notchbut which may easily be depressed to lie substantially flush within thepeg.

Preferably, the locking peg projects from the locking head at an angleof 25° to 75° from the original axis of the strap.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the present invention be better understood, a preferredembodiment will now be described in greater detail with reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial plan view on an enlarged scale of a cable fasteneraccording to the prevent invention,

FIG. 2 is a part-section side view of the fastener of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of an alternative construction to FIG. 1of a cable fastener, and

FIG. 4 is a part section of a cable bundle retained by the fastener ofFIGS. 1 and 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The locking head comprises a short, tubular body 5, said body beingprovided with internal projections 6 and a pair of longitudinalcable-locating ridges 7. Resilient strap 8 extends normally from base 9of the tubular body. Strap 8 is formed by narrow twin parallel sidemembers 10, the side members 10 being linked by a series of cross bars11 which are curved away from the body 5 and thus towards the free end12 of the strap. The cross bars 11 have the form of circular arcs, butFIG. 4 illustrates an alternative construction where cross bars 11 havea V-configuration.

A peg 13 projects upwards and away from the side of body 5 remote fromstrap 8 at an angle of 25° from the longitudinal axis of the strap (i.e.at an angle of 65° from the axis of the tubular body 5). This angle can,of course, be varied as desired but preferably is from 25° to 75° fromthe axis of the strap. Nose end 14 of peg 13 is rounded in profile.

A resilient finger 15 is located in body 5, outer end 16 of finger 15being within nose end 14 of peg 13 and the free end 17 of finger 15projecting from body 5 to form a catch. Finger 15 will lie within peg 13if pressure is applied to free end 17 of finger 15 to depress it withinpeg 13.

In operation, the fastener of the invention is secured by pressingtubular body 5 over a stud 19 where it is retained by projections 6. Aloop is formed round a bundle 18 of cables by pressing peg 13 betweenside members 10 of the free end of strap 8 so that finger 15 engages across bar 11' of the strap 8. The rounding of nose end 14 greatlyfacilitates the manipulation of peg 13 in relation to strap 8. As noseend 14 of peg 13 passes between two adjacent cross bars 11, 11', finger14 is depressed within peg 13 but when the passage of peg 13 allows thefree end 17 of finger 16 to project from peg 13, it acts as a catch toengage a cross bar 11'. The length of loop in the strap 8 needed toenclose the bundle 18 of cables determines the cross bar 11' which is toengage peg 13 and finger 15 and the cables are aligned within the loopof strap 8 by contact with cable-locating ridges 7. The strap 8 withcurved cross bars 11 are self-adjusting when the looped (loaded) strapis under tension and it is thus both simpler to use and more efficient.

The bundle 18 of cables may readily be released, if desired, simply bydepressing free end 17 of finger 15 to allow cross bar 11' to bereleased from peg 13.

We claim:
 1. A bundling band comprisingtubular body means for receivinga fastener for securing said tubular body in position, an elongatedstrap connected to said tubular body and extending in a first directionincluding side strips interconnected by selectively spaced cross bars, apeg secured to said tubular body and extending at an incline in a secondopposite direction for preventing the displacement of a cross barlocated thereagainst, said peg being selectively configured so that itcan be inserted into an opening in said strap defined by said sidestrips and adjacent cross bars, and means for preventing the removal ofsaid strap from said peg including latch means secured to the free endof said peg and resiliently pivotally displaceable from a first positionin line with a cross bar where the end of said latch engages the crossbar and prevents its removal from said peg and a second positionoverlapping said peg and permitting removal of said strap from said peg.2. A bundling band according to claim 1, wherein said cross bars arecylindrical and said resiliently displaceable latch means has a curvedfree end for engaging a cross bar.
 3. A bundling band according to claim2, wherein said peg is inclined from the horizontal by about 25°.